JIM MORRIS
The name Jim Morris is a name that is synonymous with Miami Baseball. During his 25-year tenure with the Hurricanes, Jim Morris coached teams were highlighted by dominant and consistent play. Having won National Championships in 1999 and 2001 as well as ACC Regular season championships in 2008, 2014, and 2016, the Hurricanes baseball team was one that was well known for winning.
His 25-year decorated career in Miami is noted for the steady greatness the Hurricanes produced. From the time he took the helm in the fall of 1993, till the time he left in 2018—No team qualified for the College World Series as many times as a Jim Morris coached team. His teams qualified for the NCAA Regionals for 32 consecutive years, 23 at Miami and 9 at Georgia Tech. He was also named as the National coach of the Year in both 1999 and 2001.
Morris and Miami set a lot of records. In his first six years at UM, he set the NCAA record for guiding a team to the College World series to begin a tenure; he also set a record of 13 straight Regional Appearances to start a tenure.
Overall, in his complete baseball head coaching career, Morris was at the helm of a program for 41 years. Jim got his first coaching job as an assistant at Appalachian State in 1975. He then spent his first 4 seasons as a Head Coach at DeKalb (GA) Community College. Morris followed DeKalb by taking an assistant’s job at Florida State from 1980-1981. He returned to his role as skipper in 1982 when he took the head job at Georgia Tech. He led Georgia Tech from 1982-1993. In the fall of ’93 he dons “the Orange and Green” and led “The U” for 25 years (1994-2018). Morris was elected to the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020.
While the man is a coaching icon, he has tremendous impact on the Valley Baseball League. Morris played for two seasons in the VBL for the Charlottesville Hornets. Morris graduated from Elon in 1973, but not before playing Shortstop for the Hornets and leading the VBL in Stolen Bases while hitting out of the 5-hole. His ’73 Hornets also won the VBL championship that summer.
Morris never forgot his VBL roots. Every year, Morris made sure that the Valley was ripe with Talent from his NCAA teams. He sent VBL greats such as Yonder Alonso, Carlos Gutierrez, Eddy Rodriguez, Laz Gutierrez, J.D. Arteaga, Aubrey Huff and Jason Michaels—just to name a few.
GARY GILMORE
Head Coach of the 2016 College World Series Champions, Gary Gilmore has had a long and very successful career in college baseball. Before he began filling out the lineup cards, Gary was a very accomplished player. A native of Franklin County, Va., Gilmore played for two years for Coastal Carolina University and hit .353 with 69 steals in over 90 games.
Following his playing days, Gary served as a scout for the Seattle Mariners and the Cleveland Indians in the early 1980s. In 1982, Gary left the scouting ranks and became a physical education teacher at Deep Creek Elementary School in South Carolina. He became the head coach of Pleasant Hill High School in 1984. His first opportunity in the College coaching ranks came in 1986 when he left Pleasant Hill to take an assistant coaching position at Division II USC Aiken. He was quickly promoted to head coach prior to the start of the 1990 season. His tenure in Aiken led to a record of 253-102-2 until he was afforded the opportunity to take over as the Head Coach of Coastal Carolina University in 1996.
Upon his return to his alma mater, Gary has amassed a career record of 1,290-651-5 and is still counting. The Chanticleers have reached a NCAA Regional 16 times, a Super Regional 3 Times, the College World Series once, and Won the College World Series in 2016. Throughout his years at the helm of the Chanticleers and the USC Aiken Pacers he has always been a supporter of the Valley Baseball League. He has sent a multitude of players to the league for various teams over the years. He also Coached for the Front Royal Cardinals for a few seasons.
MIKE LOWELL
Mike Lowell is one of the VBL’s more recognizable alums. During his 13-year career, Mike played for the New York Yankees, The Florida Marlins, and the Boston Red Sox. He is currently a commentator for the MLB Network.
Lowell was born in Puerto Rico but moved to Florida at the age of four. He grew up in the Miami and Coral Gables area. It was in Coral Gables that Mike’s baseball ability started to shine. In 1992, Mike graduated from Coral Gables Senior High School and was selected in the 1992 MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox in the 48th round but elected not the sign with the club. Having not signed with the White Sox, Mike attended Florida International University (FIU) on an athletic scholarship.
Lowell played for the Waynesboro Generals in 1993 following his freshman campaign for the FIU Panthers where he was named a Freshman All-American. During his time at FIU, he established himself as a standout hitter, collecting more than 70 hits in every season at FIU with a batting average over .300 every year. From ’93 to ’95, Mike played in 174 games, posting a batting average of .355 and driving in 119 runs. Following the ’95 season at FIU, Mike entered the MLB draft and was taken in the 20th round, pick 562 by the New York Yankees.
Mike’s time in the minors was relatively short. He spent the ’95 to ’98 seasons in the minors and received his MLB callup to the Yankees on September 13, 1998. While his time with the Yankees was short, he did win a world series ring with the Yankees in 1998.
In 1999, Lowell was traded to the Florida Marlins. The trade set up his 7-year, 981 games played, career in Florida that established him as one of the league’s premier third basemen. In 2003, he won another World Series Championship, this time with the Marlins. Lowell was a force on that ’03 Marlins team–hitting 32 Homeruns and driving in 105 runs.
In 2006, Mike was traded to the Boston Red Sox. He made an immediate impact with the Sox as he posted a career best .324 Batting average with 21 Homeruns and 120 RBI. In the ’07 postseason, Lowell played in 14 games, hitting 2 home runs, 7 doubles, and 15 RBI. In the World Series versus the Colorado Rockies, Mike won the MVP as his Red Sox swept in 4 games.
Lowell retired following the 2010 season and has gone on to be inducted into the FIU, Cape Cod, and Red Sox Hall of Fames. It is with great pleasure that the Valley Baseball League can now be added to the list. Welcome to the Valley Baseball League Hall of Fame
JASON MICHAELS
Another former Staunton Brave being inducted into the Hall of Fame this year is Jason Michaels. Michaels was a part of the Miami-Staunton pipeline that was common during the 1990s under Jim Morris’ leadership of the Hurricanes. During his time in Miami, Jason Michaels was an offensive powerhouse. He hit .411 with 15 Home runs, 89 RBIs, and showed off his power/speed combo with 14 Stolen Bases during the 1997 season. During that ’97 season, Jason set the University of Miami records for Hits (106), Doubles (32), and Total Bases (189). He followed his record year of’97 by hitting .378 with 19 Home Runs, 65 RBI, and 18 Stolen Bases. So, during his time at the “U,” Michaels was a career .396 hitter with 34 Homeruns, and 154 RBI.
After the ’98 season, Jason was drafted in the 4th round by the Philadelphia Phillies–it was his fourth time being drafted during the MLB draft. He made his MLB debut with the Phillies in 2001 on April 6th. He remained on the Phillies 25man roster from 2002-2005 primarily as a reserve outfielder and pinch hitter. In his 808 at-bats with the Phillies, he hit .291 with 21 home runs and 100 RBI.
In 2006, Michaels was traded to his second team–The Cleveland Indians. With the Indians, he was the everyday Left Fielder and hit second in the lineup behind Grady Sizemore. That same year, Jason was also the Indians nominee to be the recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award–given to a major leaguer who best exemplifies a commitment to community service.
Jason Michaels spent his 11-year Big League career with four Clubs–Philadelphia Phillies (2001-2005), Cleveland Indians (2006-2008), Pittsburgh Pirates (2008), and Houston Astros (2009-2011).
ROBERTO HERNANDEZ
Roberto Hernandez, a 17-year Major Leaguer who played for 10 different big-league clubs was born in Puerto Rico on November 11, 1964, but moved to New York City at the age of 2. He played his junior and senior baseball seasons with the New Hampton School, a private school in New Hampshire.
In 1984, Roberto Hernandez attended the University of Connecticut as a catcher and was named the starting catcher during the 1985 season. After the ’85 season, Hernandez was sent to play summer ball here in the Valley League for the Front Royal Cardinals. Hernandez was known for his strong arm and wanted to try his hand at pitching. However, the Cardinals were short staffed on catching and Roberto was the only catcher on the roster. The coach promised that when they added another catcher, he would get his shot. His chance arrived, and in his first start against the team from Madison he would go on to strike out 14 batters.
Following the summer in Front Royal, Hernandez entered the transfer portal and ended up at USC Aiken in South Carolina. Hernandez was selected as the 16th pick in the First Round of the 1986 Amateur Draft by the California Angels. During the 1989 season while still in the minors he was traded to the Chicago White Sox. Roberto made his Major League Debut on September 2nd, 1991, as the Starting Pitcher for the White Sox in their game against the Kansas City Royals.
While he made his Major League Debut as a Starting Pitcher, he saw most of his success and spent the majority of career as a relief pitcher. Over the course of his 17-year career, Roberto played for ten different teams: Chicago White Sox (1991-1997), San Francisco Giants (1997), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998-2000), Kansas City Royals (2001-2002), Atlanta Braves (2003), Philadelphia Phillies (2004), New York Mets (2005), Pittsburg Pirates (2006), New York Mets (2006), Clevland Indians (2007), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2007). On August 16, 2007, he became the 11th pitcher in MLB history to appear in his 1,000th game. He did so while playing for the Dodgers versus the Houston Astros.
JOHNNY GRUBB
Johnny Grubb, a Richmond, Va., native played for the Madison Blue Jays in the early 1970s after playing for his junior college the State College of Florida (known then as Manatee Junior College) when he was a member of the Florida State Seminoles. Johnny is a member of the exclusive club–being one of the few that has been drafted 4 times by a major league club. Prior to his draft and sign with the San Diego Padres in 1971 as the number 24th pick in the First Round, Grubb was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 3rd Round from Manatee College, the Cincinnati Reds in the 1st Round–14th overall from Manatee College, and the Atlanta Braves in the 3rd Round out of Florida State University.
Grubb made his MLB debut on September 10, 1972. In his first full season as a Rookie in 1973, Grubb became a starting outfielder for the San Diego Padres and hit .311 with 8 Homeruns, 37 RBI, and 52 runs scored.
The 1974 season during his sophomore campaign, Johnny played well enough to be named to the National League All Star Team. During the 1979 season, while a member of the Texas Rangers, Grubb had a 21-game hitting streak. He was also a World Series Champion during his time with the Detroit Tigers in 1984. In the ’84 World Series, Grubb’s Tigers played his former team of the San Diego Padres defeating them 4-1 in the series.
Over the course of his 16-year career, Grubb played for 4 teams while posting a career .278 Batting Average along with 99 Homeruns, 475 RBI, and 553 Runs scored. He was a member of the San Diego Padres (1972-1976), Clevland Indians (1977-1978), Texas Rangers (1978-1982) and the Detroit Tigers (1983-1987).
Johnny retired in following the 1987 season. The season prior was is most successful as a major leaguer. He hit .333 with 13 Homeruns, 51 RBI and an OPS of 1.002. Following his professional career, he returned to Richmond, VA and coached at his alma mater, Meadowbrook High School. While coaching at Meadowbrook, he coached former San Diego Padre Cla Meredith.
TONY DEMACIO
Tony DeMacio originally came to the Valley in 1967 to play in the Valley League. During his time in the Staunton area, DeMacio was the Coach and Late General Manager of the Staunton Braves during the Late 70s and Early 80s. After his stint at Riverheads High School, Tony changed career paths and became a professional baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves starting in 1983.
In was during his early stint as the Braves area scout for the upstate New York area and New England that he found one of the greatest left-handed pitchers of all-time–Tom Glavine. Glavine, who later became an MLB Hall of Famer, was the first player that he signed. DeMacio stayed hot for the Braves, his last sign before taking a job with the Clevland Indians in 1991 was Chipper Jones. His first and last signs for the Braves were two of the most iconic Braves to ever don the uniform.
From 1991-1994 Tony scouted for the Clevland Indians in various roles from National Crosschecker to ML Scout in ’94. In 1995 he was hired by the Chicago Cubs as their Crosschecker for the Southeast. He stayed with the Cubs up until 1999 when he was named as the Scouting Director of the Baltimore Orioles. He was the Scouting Director until 2004. In 2005, Tony went to the Pittsburg Pirates as their national crosschecker. He stayed with the Pirates for two seasons before returning to the Braves in 2007 as a major league scout. He remained as a Major League scout with the Braves through the 2009 season and was elevated to their Director of Scouting in 2010. He remained with the Braves until 2014.
During his long career in baseball, Tony DeMacio received many achievements. In 2002 he was named the Mid-Atlantic Scouts Executive of the Year. In 2005 he was named to the Mid Atlantic Scouts Hall of Fame. 2008, he received the East coast Scout of the Year for the Scout of the Year program. In 2014, Tony was a recipient of the George Genovese Achievement Award given as the highest honor in Scouting; and in 2018 he was inducted into the professional baseball Hall of Fame.
DeMacio has signed many players over the years. While it’s impossible to name them all, Tony has been involved in the scouting and signings of Tom Glavine, Chipper Jones, Manny Ramirez, Paul Shuey, Kerry Wood, Jon Garland, Erik Bedard, Nick Markakis, Brian Roberts, Willie Harris, Andrelton Simmons, Nick Ahmed, Alex Wood, Evan Gattis, Tommy LaStella, Brandon Dury, and Phil Gosselin.
DENNY WALLING
Denny Walling attended Clemson University in 1975 after previously attending a junior college. He made quite an impression on Tiger fans. In 1975. Walling was named ACC Player of the Year after hitting .421–the highest average in Tiger History among players with at least 100 at-bats.
Following his season with the Tigers, Walling came to the Valley and played for Waynesboro. That summer he was taken in the secondary phase of the MLB Player Draft by the Oakland Athletics. What is notable about his time following Waynesboro, is that he went straight from Playing in the Valley to making his MLB debut– on September 7, 1975, at 21 years of age– without appearing in the minors. He appeared in 6 games for the Athletics in 1975, registering 8 at-bats during his September call-up.
Walling spent 18 years in the Major Leagues, spending time with the Oakland Athletics, Houston Astros, Saint Louis Cardinals, and the Texas Rangers. He was a career .271 hitter with 799 hits over 2,945 at-bats. In 1986, Walling had one of the best seasons of his MLB career. He helped the Astros reach the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets while hitting a career-high .312 with 119 hits over 382 at-bats. Walling was best known for his pinch-hitting ability–nicknamed “Good Wood” Walling, his 108 career pitch hits are good for 13th all-time.
JERRY MAY
A Staunton native, Jerry May was a basketball and baseball star at old North River High in Augusta County. He was originally a pitcher and outfielder, but later converted to catcher once he reached pro ball. During his time as an amateur, May threw six no-hitters in American Legion Baseball. Before turning pro, May played for the Staunton Braves as well as playing in the Rockingham County Baseball League. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1961, by scout Syd Thrift who later became the General Manager of the Pirates and Baltimore Orioles.
May made his Major League debut with the Pirates on September 19, 1964 against the San Francisco Giants. He was a late substitution in the game and took his first MLB at-bat against future MLB Hall of Famer Juan Marichal. Marichal was able to induce May to hit into a pop out to the Giant third baseman.
What is perhaps May’s career defining moment came six years later in the MLB on June 12, 1973. May was behind the plate for the famous no-hitter of Dock Ellis to beat the Padres 2-0 in San Diego. This was the no-hitter that Ellis admitted he was high on LSD during the game, and didn’t arrive to the ballpark until 90 minutes before first pitch.
In a 10-year MLB career, May played in 556 games, tallying 357 hits over 1,527 at-bats that amassed a career batting average of .234. He swatted 15 career home runs and drove in 130 runs. May was never known for his prowess with the bat, but he was valued for his defensive ability. In his career, he owned a .990 fielding percentage, while throwing out 42.57% of the base runners who tried to steal a base on him. His career 42.57% caught stealing percentage ranks 11th on the all-time list. He led all National League catchers in 1970 with 50% of baserunners caught stealing.
May’s MLB career ended in the city where he had one of the most memorable games—San Diego. His last career game came in 1973, on June 3 versus the Padres. He was the starting catcher that day but was replaced in the fourth inning for a pinch-runner after drawing a walk. Following the ’73 season, May returned home to the Shenandoah Valley to Augusta County and his family farm.
Prior to the Valley Baseball League’s transition to a Summer Collegiate League, May played one final season in the Valley for his hometown Staunton Braves. He later became a part-owner of the Braves and regularly attended games up until his death in June of 1996 in a farming accident.